Last strike? Umpire, 80, set to hang up cleats

During the last 48 years, Cliff Dunkeld made an annual trek to Softball Ontario’s offices in Toronto to pick up his umpiring certification.
While the Stouffville resident passed the exam of 50 fastpitch and 50 slo-pitch questions on each occasion, he may not do it when next spring rolls around.
“I just think the time has come to retire,” said the 80-year-old.
Currently volunteering his time six days a week at the Care and Share Thrift Shop in Stouffville, Dunkeld has logged 48 seasons of working fastpitch games, where he primarily worked the bases, and close to 35 behind the plate for slo-pitch.
Preferring to work slo-pitch contests over the last few years primarily due to his age, Dunkeld handled Stouffvlle’s Tuesday Night Ladies and Goodwood Men’s slo-pitch leagues this past season.
“I like the sport and I had the best seat in the house during the game,” he said. “Behind home plate for slo-pitch and on the bases for fastpitch. In fastpitch I can still outrun some players even though I’m approaching 81.”
Married with six children, Dunkeld’s introduction to umpiring came about rather by accident in 1964 when he attended one of his daughter’s house league softball games in Claremont.
The game was delayed when no umpire showed up for his assignment.
Enter Dunkeld to the rescue.
“They needed an umpire and that’s where I started and from there it just kept on going,” said the former Whitchurch-Stouffville town councillor.
Since that time, Dunkeld worked primarily the leagues in Whitchurch-Stouffville and surrounding centres, including Claremont, Goodwood and Mount Zion.
Along the way, he’s had the opportunity to be assigned to do a couple of provincial midget girls’ championships.
In honing his craft, Dunkeld said his biggest influence came from working fastball games with Gordon “Swifty” Todd.
“I did the bases and Gord worked behind the plate and he gave me one bit of advice that I’ll always remember ‘the closer the play is, the louder you call it’,” he said. “That’s where I learned my umpiring — from him.”
Citing he’s never suffered any serious injuries working behind the plate or on the basepaths, Dunkeld said he’s also been fortunate to never experiencing any major difficulties in dealing with players or coaches.
“Sure, I’ve had some heated arguments during a game,” he said. “But never anything serious.”
As for what memorable moments stood out during his umpiring career, Dunkeld said there were too many to recall.
Not one event though, stood out from the others.
“Every game had something happen,” he cited. “When you’ve done so many games, one game doesn’t mean much more than the other. The players are there to play ball and my job was to see that they abide by the rules.
“In umpiring minor ball, it was good just to see kids do the best they could.”
Also finding the time to be a certified softball coach for close to 10 seasons along with serving as an Ontario Amateur Softball Association convenor for some 20 years and 10 years on Softball Ontario’s board of directors, Dunkeld said he will miss certain aspects of handling a game.
“Watching all of the players out there trying to win and having a good time,” he said.
But it won’t stop him from continuing to go to games just as a spectator.
“I still enjoy watching the games,” he said.